1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to fasteners for athletic boots and more particularly it concerns a novel buckle for closing a pair of opposed closure flaps of a ski boot about a skier's foot.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Particularly since the advent of molded ski boots, quick-release fasteners as buckles have become very popular and have replaced other fasteners, such as laces, for closing the boot. In one typical construction, as illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,363,288, a loop or wireform is mounted to one of the boot flaps and a latch having a plurality of spaced-apart notches is pivotally connected to the opposed flap for engaging the wireform in one of the notches when the latch is in a first position and for securing the opposed boot flaps together when the latch is pivoted to a second position. However, with this type of construction, the mechanical advantage varies depending upon which notch the wireform engages, the least mechanical advantage being realized for the tightest setting. This is particularly troublesome to the skier when making tightness adjustments between ski runs when the hands are often cold and the buckle is often covered with ice or snow.
In another known buckle arrangement, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,182, the wireform is mounted to the latch by means of a screw threaded into a nut which is pivotally supported in the latch.
In both of the aforementioned prior art designs, the tightness settings are macro-adjustable by changing the notch in which the wireform is engaged, as well as micro-adjustable by varying the longitudinal distance between the wireform and its support. While such arrangements are satisfactory, the construction thereof leads to the problem of possible damage to the buckle when it is unlatched. This is particularly a problem when the wireform is attached to the latch and is free to swing away from the boot in the unlatched condition. In such condition, the wireform is liable to damage; such as, by striking same against a door frame when walking, it being common practice by skiers to unbuckle boots when indoors.
Torsion springs or the like have been used in ski boot buckles such as is illustrated in French Pat. No. 1,542,459, to urge the wireform away from the boot surface to facilitate latching thereof. This only adds to the problem of damage when the buckle is unlatched.
In another aspect, it is also advantageous to reduce the number of buckles in a front entry ski boot from the customary five to four or even three. However, when this is done, wider buckles are required which necessitates greater accuracy in the alignment between the catch and wireform. Prior art fasteners have not been constructed with accurate alignment in mind and therefore, when used in sets of four or three, unnecessary stress has been placed on conventional boot fasteners and this, in turn, has reduced their useful life.